Always There
by Eyes of Passion
Summary: Rilaya: "Maya retreated into the alleyway of Riley's apartment complex, among all of the garbage cans. How appropriate. She felt like trash. She looked up at Riley's window. That place was her haven, a place where she was healed so many times by a magical princess, a place that she needed to be healed at once again." Dedicated to my bestie Danny.


Maya wanted to look her best, but not for the person that she was going to see. It was for the person that she wanted to see. She frowned at her reflection, her broken mirror. Bad luck. Maya scoffed. That sounded about right. She has had nothing but bad luck ever since the moment she was born. Her own father didn't want her. He left, created a family, began his life anew. Her mother was left struggling with finances, working three jobs, crashing on the couch as soon as she came home. Maya hardly ever got to spend time with her. She was lucky enough to even say a word to her.

Well, she wasn't exactly unlucky. Maya looked at the picture of her and her best friend, Riley. The camera had captured them looking happy as can be, cake and colored balloons behind them, arms wrapped around one another. This was taken at Riley's most recent birthday party.

Riley – Maya wondered how she was feeling now, getting ready for her date with Lucas. Was she nervous? Was she scared? She shouldn't be. Riley had Lucas wrapped around her little finger. Maya saw the way that Lucas looked at her, like she was the only girl in all of existence, and she could see why. Riley was enchanting, like a princess straight out of a storybook, and Lucas was her prince, and Maya was just a pauper. And female paupers had no business being with princesses. A male pauper, maybe, but not a female one.

Tears burned her eyes. No. She took a deep, shaky breath. She couldn't cry, not now. It was nearly time for her to go. She stood up straight and forced a smile. This was good. This was going to be good for her. Ronnie was a cool, handsome guy. She could fall in love with him. Maybe. Just maybe he could be her prince.

Maya left her house, taking some comfort in the fact that she wore a coat, clothes, purse, and had a wallet inside that Riley had given to her. That comfort turned into pain when she arrived at the restaurant to see that Ronnie wasn't there yet. Riley wasn't like this. Riley wouldn't ever keep her waiting.

It was okay. It was fine. Not everyone could be like Riley. People were late sometimes. She was too. Maya stuffed her hands into her coat pockets and kept her eyes peeled for Ronnie.

Minutes went by. Still no Ronnie. Maya began tapping her foot. Where was he? Should she call him? She took her cell phone out of her bag. No texts. No missed calls. Her heart dropped.

She did her best to ward off the bad feelings that threatened to overcome her. Maybe something came up. It happened. It was only ten minutes past the meeting time. She could wait longer.

Ten minutes became twenty. Twenty became thirty.

Ronnie wasn't coming. Maya was certain of that. He didn't like her. If he did, he wouldn't have kept her waiting like this out in the cold.

Maya couldn't stop the tears. There was no point in waiting there anymore. She ran, hoping that no one saw her crying. She couldn't take this. Her chest hurt. Her heart hurt. Her thoughts were coming at her like the icy wind hitting her face.

 _What did you expect to happen?_

 _He's too good for you._

 _Everyone's too good for you._

 _You're worthless._

 _You have nothing to offer anybody, not your father, not Ronnie, not Riley._

Maya cried harder. No, she couldn't lose Riley. That would destroy her.

Maya retreated into the alleyway of Riley's apartment complex, among all of the garbage cans. How appropriate. She felt like trash. She looked up at Riley's window. That place was her haven, a place where she was healed so many times by a magical princess, a place that she needed to be healed at once again.

* * *

This wasn't going like she thought it would.

There Lucas was, sitting across from her, looking handsome as could be. He was nothing but a perfect gentleman, coming to get her at her apartment, despite her father's constant need to instill fear in him, opening the door for her, pulling her chair back, offering to pay the bill – Lucas was everything that every girl wanted. He was nice, funny, smart, good-looking, but somehow, Riley just wasn't feeling it.

She jumped when her phone rang a loud, silly beat. She tensed, recognizing the ringtone, quickly unzipping her purse to get her phone.

"Sorry," she apologized, shooting out of her seat. "I have to take this."

Riley didn't even wait for Lucas to respond. She broke into a dash to the door, ignoring the stares of the other patrons as well as the blast of cold that hit her.

"Hey, Maya." She greeted.

She was met with the sound of Maya's sobbing, a sound that twisted her inside.

"Maya?" She asked, gently, clutching her phone. "Maya, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry," Maya cried. "I know that you're on a date."

"No, no, don't apologize." Riley soothed. "What happened?"

Maya was supposed to be on a date herself. With Ronnie.

"He-he didn't show up, Riley." Maya wept.

 _That jerk!_ Riley fumed.

"Where are you right now, Maya?" Riley asked, urgently.

Maya needed her.

"Just outside your apartment." Maya managed to say.

And Riley needed her to be okay.

"I'll be right there." Riley hung up, about to take off towards her apartment, then she remembered Lucas. She couldn't just leave him there.

Riley hurried back to the table, a little out of breath. Lucas regarded her with a worried expression. "It's Maya," she said by way of explanation. "I have to -"

"Go," Lucas said, serious and understanding.

"Thank you," Riley said before she took off, running as fast as she could.

Riley found her in the alleyway, leaning on the wall, hugging herself, as if she was trying to keep herself from falling apart. Ronnie did this to her. He injured her by not being there.

"Maya," Riley called, her lungs burning.

Maya turned around, her beautiful, wavy hair shifting with her movement, her face red and wet. "Riley," she acknowledged.

Riley's heart ached. She sounded so upset. Riley stepped forward and wrapped her in her arms and Maya held onto her for dear life.

They pulled apart after a while, only to climb up to Riley's window, which was always unlocked, just in case of situations like this. Riley let Maya crawl through the window first, then moved next to her, latching all of the windows shut.

Riley took off her coat and shoes and helped Maya take off hers, tossing them all aside, then got a fleece blanket off her bed, unfolding it so that she could wrap it around the both of them. Maya leaned onto Riley's shoulder, her body wracking from the onslaught of tears. Riley tilted her head against Maya's, her hair cold against her cheek. She lifted the blanket over them, enveloping them in a dark, warm cocoon. This drew a watery laugh from Maya, a beautiful sound that Riley was happy to evoke, but then she asked. "Why does everyone always leave?"

Riley pulled the blanket off them, revealing Maya's face, which she caressed, sure to look right into her glassy blue eyes. "Nobody is leaving you," Riley assured her, wiping her tears away with her thumbs. "And if they do, I will always be there for you. I will never, ever leave you."

Riley caught herself looking at Maya's lips, her face on fire, then she saw Maya's eyes trail down. Their gazes met and Riley felt it – that magnetic pull that drew their lips together. Riley sucked on Maya's dry, chapped lips, her body pulsating with warmth, her very being absorbed by the intense need to comfort this amazing, beautiful girl.

This girl was always there for her. This girl never let her stray from her path. This girl accepted her for who she was. And this girl was kissing her back, hugging her waist, making her heart burst with happiness.

Riley wanted to share this feeling with Maya. She needed her to know, to solidify this newfound bond that they now had.

"I love you," Riley gushed. "I love you so much."

Maya smiled, her eyes overflowing with tears. The storm clouds were gone and the sun was up. A beautiful sun shower. "I love you too," she cried happy tears. "More than anything."

Riley kissed her smile and embraced her with no intention of letting her go for a long, long time.


End file.
